A Foodie's Guide to Penang
George Town is regularly called Asia’s best street-food city — here’s exactly what to eat and where to find it.
Why Penang is a food pilgrimage
Penang’s blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan cultures created a street-food scene without equal in Malaysia. Dishes here have been perfected over generations at single-specialty stalls, and locals will happily argue for hours over which hawker does it best.
The must-eat dishes
Start with char kway teow (smoky wok-fried flat noodles with prawns and cockles), assam laksa (a tart tamarind-and-mackerel noodle soup), Hokkien mee (prawn noodle soup) and Penang rojak. Finish with cendol or ais kacang to cool down.
Where to graze
Gurney Drive and New Lane are the classic open-air hawker centres; Chulia Street fires up at night; and Kimberley Street is famous for koay teow th’ng and duck-egg char kway teow. Look for the stalls with the longest local queues.
How to eat like a local
Hawker centres work on a shared-table system — grab a seat, then order from individual stalls and pay each one as the food arrives. Carry small cash, go hungry, and pace yourself across several stalls rather than one big meal.
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Why Penang is a food pilgrimage — what should I know?
Penang’s blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan cultures created a street-food scene without equal in Malaysia. Dishes here have been perfected over generations at single-specialty stalls, and locals will happily argue for hours over which hawker does it best.
The must-eat dishes — what should I know?
Start with char kway teow (smoky wok-fried flat noodles with prawns and cockles), assam laksa (a tart tamarind-and-mackerel noodle soup), Hokkien mee (prawn noodle soup) and Penang rojak. Finish with cendol or ais kacang to cool down.
Where to graze — what should I know?
Gurney Drive and New Lane are the classic open-air hawker centres; Chulia Street fires up at night; and Kimberley Street is famous for koay teow th’ng and duck-egg char kway teow. Look for the stalls with the longest local queues.
How to eat like a local — what should I know?
Hawker centres work on a shared-table system — grab a seat, then order from individual stalls and pay each one as the food arrives. Carry small cash, go hungry, and pace yourself across several stalls rather than one big meal.